Friday, 28 February 2014

What do PISA tests really measure? Is it how Neanderthal you are?

I've looked at the question of PISA scores before (here). But a recent Economist article about Neanderthals has given me a new idea: they test for Neanderthal genetic inheritance.

Neanderthals and humans interbred, each bringing slightly different things to the party. Neanderthals had certain advantages, in particular because they lived in colder places (Finland, anyone? Scandinavia in general?). Curiously (as Neanderthals are not known to have lived in East Asia), "on average, East Asians have more Neanderthal DNA than Europeans do". So that's China, Singapore etc all accounted for too.

Well, it's a theory, anyway.

The article is here. It is illustrated with some unkempt people who presumably were all very good at factorising equations but not so good at the skills you needed in the Stone Age.

About Further or Alternatively (FOA)

FOA read PPE at Oxford and is now a barrister based in London.
"Further or alternatively" is a phrase used by barristers to introduce a new argument that may or may not be consistent with the previous ones: FOA may or may not be consistent with your other reading.